Sir Patrick Moore - Composer

[NatBalance]

I sometimes hear, as on Sarah Walker's Sunday Morning programme this morning, Herschel's music, astronomer composer, and I keep on being reminded we have our own astronomer composer do we not? Apparently he has written quite a lot of music, some for brass bands, even some operas. Has anyone heard any of his music? I don't trust music professor's views as they only think about structure and theory. What does it actually sound like? I have learnt that music can not be in the public domain, can even have bad structure and fail theoretical analysis and yet still be good music.

I'll quote from a book I have about Chopin "It will scarcely be profitable to devote space to Chopin's earliest works, for the reason that they present little interest to the general musical public, which practically never has the chance of becoming acquainted with them" and he goes on to mention the La Ci Darem Variations, the Fantasy on Polish Airs and the Rondo a la Krakowiak and finishes by saying they "must remain the province of the musicologist who is interested in the sources of Chopin's maturer style". But I consider those pieces some of his best.

So what about Sir Patrick's music? Has anyone heard any of it, and if so what did they think?

Rich

[AuntDaisy]

I have an old Confier tape (MCFRC 511) of "The Music of Patrick Moore" with the Ever Ready Brass Band & Patrick Moore on xylophone.
Lively & fun - especially the xylophone parts. Perhaps not "great" music - but I'm enjoying listening to it as I type.

A greatly missed personality, esp. on the Sky at Night. I also enjoyed hearing him on R2's "Dealing with Daniels" in the 1980s.

[ahinton]

I sometimes hear, as on Sarah Walker's Sunday Morning programme this morning, Herschel's music, astronomer composer, and I keep on being reminded we have our own astronomer composer do we not? Apparently he has written quite a lot of music, some for brass bands, even some operas. Has anyone heard any of his music? I don't trust music professor's views as they only think about structure and theory. What does it actually sound like? I have learnt that music can not be in the public domain, can even have bad structure and fail theoretical analysis and yet still be good music.

I'll quote from a book I have about Chopin "It will scarcely be profitable to devote space to Chopin's earliest works, for the reason that they present little interest to the general musical public, which practically never has the chance of becoming acquainted with them" and he goes on to mention the La Ci Darem Variations, the Fantasy on Polish Airs and the Rondo a la Krakowiak and finishes by saying they "must remain the province of the musicologist who is interested in the sources of Chopin's maturer style". But I consider those pieces some of his best.

So what about Sir Patrick's music? Has anyone heard any of it, and if so what did they think?

Rich

I've heard none of Moore's music but am curious as to the particular book on Chopin to which you refer; it sounds from the manner of what you quote as though it is from quite some time ago...

[RichardB]

A greatly missed personality

One might however not miss the outspokenly misogynistic, racist and UKIP-supporting aspects of that personality.

[ahinton]

One might however not miss the outspokenly misogynistic, racist and UKIP-supporting aspects of that personality.

Indeed; loathed it then and loathe it still!

[Braunschlag]

Bit like Wagner then - no shortage of comments on his music here.

[ardcarp]

We should not forget Herschel's sister, Caroline, who lived with William in Bath and was a fairly talented musician too, though not a composer I think. However her important astronomical work (including the discovery of comets, nebulae and galaxies) has been somewhat overshadowed because of her sex.

[RichardB]

Bit like Wagner then

A bit - but I'm inclined to doubt that Moore will be regarded by anyone as a towering genius whose ground-breaking compositions changed the course of music history.

[Braunschlag]

I’ll go with that

[ahinton]

I’ll go with that

Moi aussi!

[AuntDaisy]

One might however not miss the outspokenly misogynistic, racist and UKIP-supporting aspects of that personality.

Apologies, I hadn't realised / heard about those aspects. I suspect I still remember him from the 1980s & with rose-tinted specs. His Observer's book of Astronomy, from 1975, is still on my bookshelf.

[NatBalance]

I've heard none of Moore's music but am curious as to the particular book on Chopin to which you refer; it sounds from the manner of what you quote as though it is from quite some time ago...

Yes you're right it is an old book, first published 1947, called Chopin by Arthur Hedley. Why would it take the advent of recording and radio for these early pieces to be heard? Why were they considered not good enough for live performance? I especially love the Krakoviak Rondo, in particular the very simple introduction. I don't know when Chopin's poor orchestration was sorted, perhaps that's the reason these early works weren't performed, but then does that not also apply to his concertos? Anyway, I wonder why don't we hear anything of Moore's music?

[RichardB]

His Observer's book of Astronomy, from 1975, is still on my bookshelf.

I think I have an even earlier edition of that one! although actually, come to think of it, my daughter has all my Observer books now...

[NatBalance]

I have an old Confier tape (MCFRC 511) of "The Music of Patrick Moore" with the Ever Ready Brass Band & Patrick Moore on xylophone.
Lively & fun - especially the xylophone parts. Perhaps not "great" music - but I'm enjoying listening to it as I type.

Oh that's interesting. It may not be great but it sounds like it's good. Here he is on YouTube playing one his pieces:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmpAqDESzhM An excellent bit of fun I think. I can really see those penguins quickly waddling along.

[NatBalance]

One might however not miss the outspokenly misogynistic, racist and UKIP-supporting aspects of that personality.

Yes I've heard about that, but then Heather Cooper wrote to him in her teens asking about becoming an astronomer and also asked if being a woman would be a problem and he replied that being a woman would be no problem at all. I suppose it's just certain professions he was against them joining. Anyway, getting back to his music I guess it might be one of those things that takes time to emerge, like Andrew Lloyd Webber's brilliant Requiem. Give it time, perhaps he will have to die before it starts getting an airing on R3.